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Asylum applications return to pre-crisis levels

(24 June 2019) - New figures published today by the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) show that asylum applications in the EU have decreased for the third consecutive year in 2018. The number of asylum requests received has returned to pre-crisis levels.

In 2018, a total of 664,480 applications for international protection were recorded in the EU, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein. The total EU+ recognition rate in first instance in 2018 was 39%, decreasing by 7 percentage points over the previous year.

Syria (13%), Afghanistan and Iraq (7% each) were the three main countries of origin of applicants. The top 10 citizenships of origin also included Pakistan, Nigeria, Iran, Turkey (4% each), Venezuela, Albania and Georgia (3% each).

With regard to receiving countries, most applications for asylum were lodged in Germany, France, Greece, Italy, and Spain. The top five receiving countries per capita were Cyprus, Greece, Malta, Sweden, and Luxembourg.